Mike Goulian, a national aerobatic champion and president of Executive Flyers Aviation, is also named in the suit, and faces tough choices. “It’s going to cost us at least $20,000 to $50,000 to fight this,” he told AVweb yesterday. “That’s a big expense. The worrisome part — besides the money, and my future and my living — is the precedent this can set for others nationwide.” Goulian said that pilots had been to meetings with neighbors to try to find equitable solutions to their concerns. “We thought we had some good ideas, and had been making progress,” he said. The lawsuit came as a surprise. He has no choice, he said, other than “to just keep fighting it.” Pennypacker also said that local pilots have tried to find compromises to satisfy the property owners, but it’s been a challenge. “If you look at a sectional chart, the amount of airspace available is really very small,” he said. “We’ve been working with the FAA to try to get waivers and open up more space, but it’s not easy.” In the five years or so he’s been flying in the area, he’s seen practice areas go away. “This is not going to get any better,” he said. Pennypacker is setting up a fund to help with the legal expenses, he said. Contributors can contact him at 508-472-2617.
…May Set National Precedent…
Key Takeaways:
- Mike Goulian and Executive Flyers Aviation are facing a lawsuit with substantial legal costs ($20,000-$50,000) and are concerned about the negative precedent it could set for pilots nationwide.
- Pilots have made efforts to find equitable solutions with neighbors and the FAA, including seeking waivers for more airspace, but these attempts have been challenging and the lawsuit came as a surprise.
- The article highlights a growing problem of shrinking available airspace and disappearing practice areas, indicating a worsening trend for aviation, prompting a fund to be established for legal expenses.
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